


Verdancy

by May



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 03:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11348598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/May/pseuds/May
Summary: The algae of the river is cold and toxic, Ivy's plants are lush and healing.





	Verdancy

When you come out of the river, you come up covered in slime. Gotham harbour is not a clean body of water - it contains over two centuries worth of toxins and death. So what sticks to Oswald once he's climbed out isn't some lively corner of the ecosystem, but something that's grown twisted with the city, bent on survival.

He feels it on his skin, even after he's washed it off. After there's nothing left between his fingers, or behind his ears, or just resting against his flesh After a while, he begins to think that it makes sense; things that adapt and survive in poisonous conditions might just work well together. Oswald can persist in the darkest waters, if he needs to. There's nothing there to brush off his skin, anymore, because it's simply a part of who he is.

The second time he goes into the river, Oswald wakes up aching, but warm and clean. He meets Ivy, sweet and lively and so very new. She has plants of her own, and they only have their own poison, and they live as they should. It feels unnatural, now, so he's prickly. He's swam through the harbour twice, and his skin doesn't know what to do with this.

It almost seems like Ivy's plants shouldn't work on him, or even that they should kill him. When he heals, and she doesn't leave his side, he feels as if there is something new on his skin, something protective. He doesn't want to brush it off.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr post:
> 
> http://maysgreatnewusername.tumblr.com/post/162398577029/verdancy-oswald-ivy-g


End file.
